Survivor BvBvB - March 30/16 Episode Recap

It's Merge Time
Last week on Survivor Aubry waffled at tribal council writing down Julia then crossing it out and voting out Peter...

Gondol  - Night 16
Scot is not happy with Joe and Aubry, even though she voted how he wanted in the end, the indecision and, in his mind, lack of loyalty (to him) means he's going to pick them off one by one now. (Yeah, Scot's a big bully and he cockily thinks he's running the game.)

Gondol - Day 17
They showed Tai and his chicken, he has it tied to his leg and it's begging for coconut - Joe says they're like father and son - it's weird yet oddly touching.
-Joe knows that he and Aubry are on the outs and realizes that the chicken has it better than him on their tribe right now.

Chan Loh - Day 17
Cidney notices that Neal is walking around with a big bulge in the leg pocket of his cargo shorts and she clues Jason in that Neal has an idol... so they are now targeting Neal.

Then a boat shows up with a note that says they have 5 minutes to gather all their stuff and board the boat to head to their new home at Gondol beach. 
Michelle is so excited that she made the merge.  Debbie had no doubts she would make the merge and now she's ready to start pulling everyone in, because they're all dangling with another switch-up.

Later - Day 17
The boat arrives at Gondol beach and the celebration begins!  They made the merge, it's a huge deal.
Scot sees Jason & Cydney and he feels like they made the playoffs, his Brawn tribe is back together.

Aubry feels like she and Joe are saved, after last tribal council they were cannon fodder but now they have Neal & Debbie again, and are back in the numbers. 

There are 4 brains, 4 beauty and 3 brawn - but Tai and Scot have formed a bond and Scot's going to keep little Tai around for his potential SUPER idol.

-They start to get tipsy at the feast, Jason & Scot are loud and obnoxious and Nick is just watching figuring the Brains aren't going to want to partner with the cocky Brawn.   He's going to sit back and let them come to him.

-Aubry reconnects with Debbie and confirms Neal is still tight - Debbie welcomes Aubry and Joe back with open arms.

-Nick feels out Aubry & Neal about getting a Beauty and Brain alliance together -  he realizes that Tai and Scot are super tight now and Julia was saved by them last tribal so she'll likely stick with them. Nick makes them think he and Michelle will be in with them to vote out a Brawn.

-Nick then goes and feels out Brawn - Scot & Jason tell him everything: They think Neal has an idol so they should take him out first AND Scot tells Jason and NICK that Tai has an idol (What the h-e-double hockey sticks? How much wine did Scot have at that feast?)
-Nick wonders exactly that, "they welcomed me into their alliance, what sweethearts!"  Nick doesn't like their over-confidence but that's great for him, they are never going to see the blindside coming. (The one thing they didn't reveal to Nick was the fact that two idols together can be played after the vote... seems like we are getting set up for a super idol to save someone from a blindside.)

Dara (new tribe name) - Day 18
-Debbie goes to Tai and says, "I really like you, let's get in an alliance." (He's looking around like, what? Joe is right there...) And she pushes him to shake on it, done deal we're in an alliance - Tai's not buying her story, she's super aggressive and it's off-putting.
-Debbie does the same thing to Nick - "So, are you with us?" She's talking about the Brains and Michelle too - just telling him he has to be with them and shut up about it.
-Aubry & Neal are watching her heavy-handedness and shaking their heads, she's got to cool her jets, they don't look confident, she's making them look desperate - and that's a problem.

-Jason figures beauty always goes for the jocks (Brawn) it's a no brainer - they'll just shove the geeks in lockers (and Jason has to stop living in the past, the geeks have inherited the earth my friend...oh, I guess not on Survivor.)
-Brawn & the girls from Beauty agree that they should vote for Aubry because Brains won't see that coming.
-Michelle doesn't like Jason's attitude, she's still open to working with Brains.

-Aubry talks to Nick like a human being and agrees with him that Debbie is horrible... he doesn't want anyone to have more power than him in this game so he's not likely to vote with Debbie.
-Aubry talks to Neal and they think they're screwed because of Debbie's attempt to strong-arm everyone - then Neal tells Aubry he has an idol and she's back in, we get someone to tell us how they're voting and we use the idol - done.

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE - Day 19
-We start with Jeff wanting to check in medically with the group - they do a show us your infection-off.  Eww.

For the first individual immunity they will be standing on a log while balancing a ball on a disc.  At regular intervals they will add another ball.  If at any point they fall off the perch or lose a ball they are out.
-They do get up to three balls with the last three standing: Tai, Nick and Julia - but it's NICK that is the last man standing and gets the first immunity.

Dana - Day 19
-They go back to camp and the strategizing starts up again, Nick & Michelle have decided they'll go with Brawn since, as Nick puts it, they are just idiots and he can out wit them no problem.  So they're going to vote Aubry tonight... and then Jeff shows up in a boat with a medical kit and the doctor in tow - he wants to check out the infection situation again because they can be life threatening if they get into a bone or the blood stream.  (I think Caleb nearly dying at that one challenge has spooked Jeff about the health of the players, and I say it's a good thing, maybe I'm feeling my mortality but winning a million $ is not worth your health or your life.)

-Tai's scraped thighs are healing, he's fine.  Aubry's inner leg isn't near bone, they'll give her some antibiotics and she'll get to stay.  But Neal, and the Mount St. Neal on his knee, that puss-y crater is right near the joint and it could potentially cripple him for life if it gets in the joint - they can't risk it and make the call to medically evacuate the Ice Cream Man, NEAL.  He has a little cry and says good-bye... then leaves with the idol in his pocket much to Aubry's dismay. (She actually called him a son of a b*tch, so maybe dismay was the wrong word.)

Neal is going to be the first member of the jury so he'll still get to vote for the winner (not much of a consolation prize.)

With Neal leaving, they did not have a Tribal Council - so the only people out of the pool are: Lee B., Trish W. and Mike L.

Next week - the jocks and beauty seem to be sitting pretty but then... Cydney get irritated with Jason and could blow up the game (do it!)

Neal's final thoughts: He believes the journey is the reward - he will hold this near and dear with many smiles and some tears - but that's the game, you don't just have to outwit and outplay, you have to outlast. (Oooh, deep.)

Have a great rest of your week,

Coleen

Survivor BvBvB - March 23/16 Episode Recap

Play or Go Home

Last week they switched up the Brains, Brawn & Beauty into two tribes with a single player, Julia, on her own until someone was voted out and she could assume their place.  The new Gondol tribe lost at the immunity challenge and poker player Anna was not saved by Tai who bogarted that hidden immunity idol for himself - b-bye Anna.

Gondol - Night 13
Peter decides to step up his game and starts talking to everyone about taking Joe and/or Aubry out.  But Dr. Peter really is not very smart in the ways of Survivor or he's too arrogant to credit realize other people may be as smart as he is.  He makes it very obvious to Aubry & Joe that he is talking to everyone BUT them... and they ain't no dummies.

Chan Loh - Day 14
Debbie has set her sights on the Greek God (in her eyes) Nick and he's vain enough to want any and all attention lavished on him.  Nick is pretty savvy in sizing up Debbie as someone who needs to talk and feel like she's being heard, so he'll let her, but he's not drinking the kool aid.
-Oh yeah, and apparently Debbie has been modeling off and on through the years (Lady! Come On!)
-Tree mail lets them know there is going to be some basketball required so Nick starts practicing - he was a point guard in high school but he's going up against an NBA player cause you know Scot is shooting for them.

REWARD CHALLENGE
Julia comes in and joins Gondol - welcome, now prove yourself!

They start out on a platform in the water, one player has to swim out and dive down to release a group of buoys, once they all pop to the surface the rest of the tribe jumps in to herd the buoys to the beach where one player will shoot the balls into a basket - first tribe to get 10 buoys in their baskets wins a huge food reward: breads, meats, cheese, veggies, tuna, beverages - that looks really good actually.
-So the story here is Michele on the Chan Loh tribe could not get the knots untied to release their buoys which put them behind.  Scot  was shooting for Gondol but he wasn't doing so hot, Nick actually gave him a run for his money - but in the end, the tribe with the former NBA player won the reward.

Gondol - Day 14
They return with the food and Julia is playing get-to-know you with the tribe.  Peter glommed on to her and pitches his idea to take out Joe and Aubry... and Joe & Aubry are watching him.  What a dope.
-Joe decides he's going to confront Peter about trying to vote Joe out - he'll know he's lying because of his FBI experience.  Peter was genuinely shocked that Joe had any inkling of what he had been doing (because he doesn't give anyone else credit for having a brain I guess) and Peter lies of course and Joe knows, of course.

Chan Loh - Day 14
Michelle knows its time for her to try and make some connections, she really likes Debbie, she's quirky and honest (quirky - that is a good word for her actually) and Michelle wants to align with the Brains.  Debbie isn't very fond of Jason and so Michelle goes to Nick, her Beauty ally and proposes they side with Brains to take Jason out and Nick shoots her down immediately. "We're not doing that."  Nick has no respect for Michelle, he treats her like an idiot and she'll only put up with it until she can get him out.  He dictates that they are sticking with Brawn. (I actively dislike Nick on all levels. Just saying.)

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
They had to go over a series of obstacles as a tribe, then two tribes members will use poles to knock blocks out of an overhead net.  Once they have all the blocks they must stack them (there are two sizes) into one tall tower - first team to get all their blocks stacked so they stay long enough for them all to run back to their mat will win immunity.
-The teams were pretty much neck and neck throughout but the story here comes down to the stacking strategy.  Peter wanted to stack the small blocks first then have Scot the Giant hold them up so they could stack the larger block underneath them - but the tower was even too tall for Scot to hold - it involved getting Debbie standing on Nick's shoulders to get their blocks all stacked... and Chan Loh won immunity, sending Gondol back to Tribal Council again.

Gondol - Day 16
Eventhough Aubry doesn't trust Peter and he screwed up with the block stacking strategy, she is more worried about losing the Brains majority on the tribe and convinces Joe they should take the easy vote of Julia and keep Peter. 
-She sends Joe to make peace with Peter and they kind of make up, enough for Peter to decide to stick with the Brains and vote Julia out with them.

-When Peter tells Scot he's scratched his mutiny plan and is voting Julia,  he says it like it's no big deal, of course he can do whatever he wants, but Scot's sick of Peter's BS and rallies Tai & Julia to vote Peter. 
-Julia knows a tie isn't good enough, Joe is too loyal to sway so she goes and talks to Aubry and lets her know that Peter had approached her to take both Joe and Aubry out.  When Aubry heard Peter had been throwing her name around, she didn't let on it bothered her and Scot & Tai decided they don't want a tie so they'll just vote Julia too.
-But things have changed for Aubry - she can't take the uncertainty of Peter anymore and talks to Joe about voting Peter tonight. Joe's having none of it, the plan had been made, when you scramble you screw yourself - he's not changing his vote again. For Joe, it's Julia and Aubry is torn.

TRIBAL COUNCIL
Honestly, I wasn't paying much attention, old tribes, new tribes, growing pains, blah blah blah...
-Scot says something about people changing their minds every few minutes - there is more blah blah about how complex the tribe dynamic is and then Tai just sits up and whispers to Scot - Peter?
Scot confirms "Original?"  Aubry looks at him and he mouths, Peter.
Jeff asks what's going on and Scot tells Julia to stick with the original plan - she's all smiles - for her the original plan has always been Peter.
-Joe knows his original plan but Aubry's now in a tailspin, she doesn't know what to do - Scot's told her Peter, Joe is voting Julia.

Time to Vote:
Peter votes Julia - this was the original plan as far as I know.
Aubry hesitates... then writes Julia (Awh!)

Tallying the votes:
No one plays a hidden immunity idol.

Votes:
Peter - 1
Julia - 1
Peter - 2
Julia - 2
Peter - 3
Final vote is Aubry's vote with Julia PETER written loud and clear!  (Wow, changed her mind at the last minute. Good for her, the dumb doctor had to go.)

So with Peter leaving us tonight, that takes Bernice R., Lindsay J. and Tori K. out of the pool.

Next week: It's the Merge!  (Holy, not giving them any time to get comfortable this season.)

Peter's final thoughts - Disappointed in Joe & Aubry but a million dollars isn't worth his dignity (whatever, they owed you nothing) - then the dig - no one is going deep in that tribe anyway so he'll enjoy seeing what happens in the next few days. (Arrogant prick to the end.)

Have a wonderful Easter weekend everyone,

Coleen

Survivor BvBvB - March 16/16 Episode Recap

The Devils We Know

Last week on Survivor we had the epic Reward challenge that nearly killed some people - Beauty lost their first member when Caleb had to be air lifted out and then Brawn finally got rid of Blondie (Alecia) at Tribal Council.

This episode began at Brains tribe - we see the colossally arrogant Peter, reluctantly using his medical training trying to suck up to his tribe - they are gratefully allowing him to tend their minor wounds but it's really not winning anybody over. 
And we see Ice Cream man Neal, equally determined that the cancer on their tribe, (that would be Peter... and I'm always kind of tickled when they bust out a reality trope like calling someone a cancer), will not be the one to find the hidden immunity idol.  Neal successfully finds the clue, the box, retrieves the key and gets the third hidden immunity idol.

Reward challenge(?)... Nope. Jeff brings them all together and tells them to drop their buffs. Oh yeah, they are switching up the tribes.
Jeff also tells us that they had always planned to do the switch-up at this point in the game but they expected to have 14 people left - with Caleb's unforeseen departure, that left them with 13 people... the solution they came up with: six blue buffs, six yellow buffs and one red buff - the single person that gets the red buff will go back to the Brawn beach alone, they will not participate in the Immunity Challenge, meaning they cannot be voted out and they will fill the spot on whichever tribe does go to Tribal Council and votes out the next person.  So, still sucks to be red.

New tribes:
Blue/Chan Loh: Neal & Debbie, Cydney & Jason, Keith & Michelle - two brains, two brawn and two beauty. (Exactly even.)

Yellow/Gondol: Peter, Aubry & Joe, Tai & Anna and Scot - three brains, two beauty and one brawn (who is the size of two.) (Also pretty even.)

Red/To Tang: Julia, the blond sorority girl, youngest person out there, will have to fend for herself for water, food, fire... everything.  She says she thinks she'll be okay, but the downside is she won't be able to get to know everyone and will be coming back in at a disadvantage.  Later we see that she is NOT okay on her own, she gets so dehydrated she's lying listlessly in the shelter, crying (that's only going to dehydrate you more - I'm guessing she's not a science major.) She's only 18 and she's not equipped to do this one her own.

Gondol - Yellow - Day 12
-Tai & Anna welcome everyone to their camp and share their mangos, heart of palm and there is still a chicken left.  It's all happy happy, joy joy getting to know you... and Peter is immediately confident that he has nothing to worry about now that he's in the majority of the 3 brains on this tribe (he's learned absolutely nothing, or just doesn't care about the social aspect of this game because immediately everyone knows he's an arrogant prick.)
-The Brains figure they will have to get rid of a beauty first if they go to Tribal because they don't want to have even numbers, with Julia coming back to the tribe (and are you going to vote off the giant at this point? No, Scot is still safe.)

Chan Loh - Blue - Day 12
-Debbie starts being Debbie, trying to impress the Brawn members because she wants to align with the powerhouses, by doing chin ups (she's embarrassing) - then she proposes everyone go scavenge for food and she goes off with Cydney complimenting her disciplined physique and saying she knows she's smart... we find out that Cydney went to Penn, an ivy league school, so she is smart but she's been keeping that on the down low - she likes Debbie's motherly vibe.  Debbie also shares that she and Neal are tight and in the end she wants a woman to win - Cydney's on board.
-Then Debbie approaches Jason and just says they want to take out a beauty if it comes to it at the first Tribal.  Debbie is patting herself on the back for being the mastermind out there, now Brains and Brawn are covalently bonded, they can't be beat. (She better watch the cockiness, that tends to get you blindsided.)

Gondol - Day 13
-Tai is being his genuine self, and everyone loves him.  Poker Player Anna knows it's between Tai and herself if they go to Tribal so she starts working to throw Tai under the bus, telling the Brains about catching Tai looking for the hidden immunity idol and how sketch he can be.

Chan Loah - Day 13
-Nick sees this tribe switch-up as a re-birth for him, it's the battle of the pairs and he wants to court another pair to join him and Michelle.  My favourite line of his, "When it comes to being manipulative, I'm the most intelligent person out here." (Oh Sweet Jebus! Save us from all these narcissistic shitheads.) Nick talks to Jason and they agree that they like each other so far - both totally discount the women as just going along with whatever they decide to do (sigh.)
-Jason sees himself and Cydney as sitting pretty, both the other pairs have come to them, they hold all the power right now.

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
Two members from each tribe will swim out and retrieve a net of fish puzzle pieces - once on the shore, two other tribe members will have to untie all the fish from the net and hang the 14 fish on hooks hanging from a pole.  Then those two tribe members will carry the pole up the beach to the remaining two tribe members who will have to use the wooden fish pieces to solve a puzzle (fitting all the pieces together correctly.)

-Scot & Aubry vs Nick & Jason retrieving the net of fish.  Scot basically does this part of the challenge all by himself... Oh and all the fish puzzle pieces weigh about 100lbs.
-Tai & Joe vs Cydney & Michele untying the puzzle pieces - the girls untie quicker but carrying the pole of pieces is really heavy and they fall behind when Michelle had to drag the pole.
-Peter & Anna vs Debbie & Neal - and Debbie & Neal blow them away - CHAN LOH/Blue wins Immunity.

Gondol/Yellow - Day 13
-Back at camp, the former Brains members meet.  Aubry wants to vote Tai, Peter talks to her like she's stupid, "You want the primary provider out?" he thinks the smarter vote is Anna but he'll do what they want, and he leaves them to come to his decision.  So it's Anna tonight.
-Peter goes and tells Anna & Tai that they are talking about voting one of the Beauty out and Tai tells us how he feels, "I do not like Peter." (You and everyone else who has the misfortune to meet him I think.)

-Tai wants Peter out and he can do it, he has the idol, so he talks to Anna & Scot, proposes they take Peter out and shows them his idol. 
Scot is immediately in, "Done!" Anna is so excited at the prospect of blindsiding Peter she has a hard time wiping the huge smile off her face (I can't blame her there.)

-Later, Aubry goes up to Scot and tells him they are voting Anna tonight... and Scot realizes with Tai safe, he is now the only person that knows where there are two hidden immunity idols which, when combined, can be a super idol... this could be huge for him if he makes it to the merge.  So Scot tells Tai that he is safe and should hold on to his idol for as long as he can - just let Anna go tonight.  Tai is worried that he may be the one to go home with the idol in his pocket but he's going to see how tribal pans out and decide whether to play it or not then.

TRIBAL COUNCIL
It's basically Anna and Tai pleading their cases to stay.
Anna says she's strong, she's competitive and hopefully they'll see her as an asset and keep her around. (Weak)
Tai lays it out that he is their main provider of food, he fishes, he climbs trees to get mangos - he has a lot of resources, a lot of skill and never, ever complains about work. (He could happy his way into winning.)
-Jeff does ask if there has been talk of idols which makes Scot and Anna nervous that Tai's going to spill the beans.
-Joe old-man answers that he doesn't think there is a hidden idol (Joe, there is always a hidden idol).
-Tai jumps on that, he agrees that there must not be any hidden idols because he looked and he couldn't find it (a little too nervous but they don't know him well enough to realize it's not just his normal twitchiness.)
-Peter makes another stupid speech about not being worried at all because he's in the power position and it there is very low probability that he's going home. (Arghhh... that just makes me wish they would blindside him.)

Time to Vote:
Anyone want to play a hidden immunity idol? 
Tai looks at Scot, he almost imperceptibly shakes his head, Tai looks down.  Anna looks at Tai and when he doesn't move she frowns (yup, not looking good for you.)

Votes:
Peter - 1
Anna - 1, 2, 3... 4 and it's ANNA voted out.  Not much of a shocker, but it would have been so satisfying if they had taken down Peter, oh well, I'm pretty sure he's not going to be around to the end.

And with Anna leaving, that takes Kevin R., Lynne B., and Lois & Dave L. out of the pool.

Next week: Debbie is courting a new ally by creepily flirting with Nick and Joe investigates one of his own, confronting Peter about being against him.

Anna's final thoughts: "Oh my god, this hurts so much," (what, your fake boobs smashed in that buff?  I couldn't let her go without commenting about them at least once.) She did not expect to be out this early, she thought she was playing a good game but maybe she was playing too hard - it was her strategy to go all in, and she thought blindsiding Peter would be so awesome (and it would have been), "But they blindsided ME!" (Yup, that they did.)

Happy St Patty's day everyone,

Coleen

The Amazing Race - March 10/16 Episode Recap

We're Only Doing Freaky Stuff Today

The title of this episode was never more aptly put - because this was the leg to torture all acrophobics - those with a fear of heights were screwed.

Chamonix, France
The day started like Christmas morning with everyone getting new snow appropriate clothing - and this group of hams gave us a show of course, trying it on and goofing for the camera.

First thing they had to do was find a car and drive themselves up Mont Blanc to the gondola.  At the gondola they had to choose a mountain guide and pick up climbing equipment (including a baguette) and take the gondola up to the top of the mountain.
-Everyone was really close together since they had all been on the mat at the same time on the last leg but only two teams could go up at a time.  This was not a good day for Sheri & Cole as they are both afraid of heights, though mom was determined to step up.  And redhead Erin started the day by wiping out on a patch of ice before even getting up the mountain... that didn't bode well.

Once at the top, they find out the clue is on an outcropping of rocks, across a huge chasm, one person will have to pull themselves across ropes while suspended from a harness, grab the clue and then be pulled back by their partner.  It's not far, but absolutely terrifying.
Everyone does it without incident except Ashley who drops her clue and has to do it twice and poor Sheri who cries and whimpers the whole time, while Cole is hiding so he doesn't have to watch because he's terrified just being there.

The clue is to the DETOUR: Dynamite or Campsite
-In Dynamite, they have to traverse the mountain top and deliver a couple charges or dynamite and lunch (the baguette) to the ski patrol safety teams that set off the charges to prevent over accumulation of snow and deadly avalanches - once the dynamite is detonated, they'll get their next clue.
-In Campsite, they have to set up camp exactly the way the example camp is set to get the next clue. (This includes digging out and making a snow wall around the tent... harder than it looks.)  Burnie &
Ashley are the only team that choose Campsite figuring this will give them a leg up somehow, but it's just less scary and it takes way longer - they lose quite a few places here.

Everyone else chooses Dynamite which doesn't sound so bad, I mean who doesn't want to blow stuff up?  Until you realize you're walking a thin trail on the side of a huge mountain... absolutely breathtaking views, but it feels like you could fall and die at any moment.
-Dana made me dislike her again when the whole time she was yelling at Matt that she was scared and apparently he wasn't coddling her enough - he used to be a snowboarder so this was no big deal to him, and he has the patience of a saint because I would have been tempted to cut her line just to shut her up.
-Blair messed with Erin & Joselyn on this task when she off-handedly told them not to forget to pick up lunch with the dynamite - which sent the girls off looking for food, not realizing the baguette was the lunch... and in the thin air, not easy running up and down stairs - they finally figured it out but wasted some time and stole some poor mountain guide's lunch in the process.
-The Detour decision was a hard one for Sheri & Cole because of his extreme fear he wanted to do campsite but Sheri knew it would take too long and they were in last place - so, fully disclaiming that he was going to cry the whole time, Cole agreed to do dynamite.
Kurt & Brodie and Tyler & Korey were one and two the whole day - the clue they got after the Detour told them to drive to another gondola station and search for the next clue... which turned out to be the ROADBLOCK: Who feels the wind beneath their wings?  Launching from over 7000ft, they will tandem paraglide with an experienced pilot and have to look for the yeti on the way down and tell the guy at the bottom what he was doing to get the next clue. (The yeti was a guy in a Big Foot costume (I thought Yeti's were white?) waving a French flag.)
Brodie and Korey are doing this one and super athlete Brodie, going first, makes a serious error, instead of concentrating on the take off, he's concentrating on filming himself with the go-pro on a stick and he falls in the deep snow and they don't take off.  Now they have to wait for Korey to go before he can try again... It was a shocking upset... but he shouldn't feel bad because that take off was challenging and when the wind started to change later in the day, it messed up Rachel, Ashley, and Erin - repeatedly.  This was definitely not Erin's leg, she got passed by everyone, not being able to take off.

Once they could successfully take off though, the view was incredible!  Everyone who got to do this Roadblock agreed that experiences like that are why you go on the Amazing Race - flying through the Alps, breathtaking!
Tyler & Korey got the clue to the PIT STOP - Statue of Dr. Michel Paccard, first man to conquer Mont Blanc.  Last team to check in here MAY be eliminated (Ohhh?? Is it a non-elimination round?)

Here's How They Finished:
1) Tyler & Korey - won a trip for two to a resort in the Philippines.
2) Brodie & Kurt - Kurt was not very happy with Brodie losing them the lead.
3) Matt & Dana - He would have hated to go home before he got to experience this leg - it's something he'll never forget for sure.
4) Scott & Blair - Phil asks Blair what her favourite team on the race is (even Phil is playing up the Blodie factor), she plays coy though and asks Phil who is his favourite team, he says he loves them all equally (yeah, right.)
5) Rachel & Zach - I still really like these two, though they have been kind of low key, better step it up.
6) Burnie & Ashley - They were able to get out of last place because Erin can't run in snow (and they some how passed Sheri & Cole to the mat.)
7) Sheri & Cole - She was super mom this episode, doing all the heights things because Cole was so scared, even though she was terrified as well.  He acknowledged she woman-ed up and got them through.
8) Erin & Joselyn - *** ELIMINATED *** Erin said she felt so blessed to be able to experience the paragliding and blessed to be on the Race.  Joselyn was conspicuously silent, I think she wasn't feeling so blessed to be saddled with Erin this leg... her final thought, "Re-Do?" (No, you're out - b'bye.)

And with Erin & Joselyn being eliminated, that takes Shane B., Sandie G., Nenad M., Hardeep G., and Kevin R. out of the pool.

They showed a compilation preview of what's ahead on the Amazing Race  - as the next episode will be on April 1st (What? 2 wks without TAR?)

Hope you have a great week everyone,

Coleen
 

Survivor Brains v Brawn v Beauty - Mar 9/16 Episode Recap

Signed, Sealed and Delivered

Last week Brains went to Tribal Council and they easily blindsided Liz who, along with Peter, thought they were running the game.  But you should never underestimate 'crazy like a fox' Debbie.

Brains - Night 8
-They return from Tribal Council and Peter is feeling pretty shaken, Debbie (calling herself the Mastermind) goes and talks to him, saying he is still there because they wanted him there - She knows he's a narcissist so she strokes the ego a little while still taking him down a few pegs.  Peter thinks he's now on the pea brain tribe, they no longer have a strong tribe (because Liz is gone?  No, because he's not running things anymore. Sheesh.)

REWARD CHALLENGE
-This is the first time the Reward challenge is separate from the Immunity challenge.  They are playing for Survivor kitchen supplies, first place gets a full kit, second place just salt & pepper and minimal supplies, third place nothing.

They have to race through a series of obstacles to a log which they have to dig themselves under, then they got to a sandy pit where they have to dig up three bags of balls.  Once they have all the bags, they have to basically play Skeeball with them, getting all balls in the holes.

Everything goes along pretty normally despite the blistering heat, until they get to the digging up the balls and then it just falls apart.  45 minutes all the teams are still trying to dig up their balls, they are all exhausted and close to heat stroke.  Finally Brains gets all their bags and they get the balls in the holes winning first reward - then they sit waiting for the other tribes to finish.
While Debbie is trying to hide in Joe's shadow he is looking at her state and decides they have to call for medical as she's close to heat stroke.  While medical comes in to tend to Debbie, Beauty finally finds their third bag of balls and they get started trying to get the balls in the holes.

Brawn is lethargically trying to dig, Alecia is cheering them on (as she's just kicking the sand around instead of digging) and Scott snaps at her, "Yeah, keep cheerleading, that's all you're good for." (really dude? Why you got to always be an a-hole?  Not saying she's not annoying and they aren't all doing this challenge on the surface of the sun with no water... but still.)

Beauty is down to trying to get their last ball in the hole and Brawn finally finds the last bag.

Oh yeah, Debbie is alright now, they've cooled her down, she's okay.

Brawn starts getting a couple balls in the holes but Caleb finally gets the last ball in for Beauty and the challenge is over... Then all hell breaks loose.

Caleb (Beauty) staggers over to a somewhat shadier spot and collapses on the ground.  Cydney (Brawn) is collapsed beside a small post shaking and gagging with Jason trying to tend to her.
Medical is pulled from Debbie to tend to Caleb who is starting to shake and pass out.  They have oxygen on him, ice on him - Jeff calls all the crew to stop whatever they are doing and bring aid to the contestants (I've never seen that happen before, you know this is serious when the only camera shot is from an overhead camera up in a tree.)

-Cydney has been moved over by Caleb so medical can monitor her as well - she's getting liquids and is having her blood pressure checked when it looks like Caleb stops breathing (WHAT THE???? At this point I'm thinking how irresponsible it was for the production to allow this challenge to go on so long that they endangered the players to this degree!  I was scared and mad!)
-They start an IV on Caleb to get cold fluids into his system to try and cool him down, he is breathing and responding but his condition is so tenuous that the doctor makes the call that he has to be medically evacuated - Caleb is out of the game. (Holy Crap!)

-Beauty tribe was all crying but I felt especially bad for Tai, he lost his Survivor Boyfriend.  Oh, and you should have heard the epic music they were playing for the fallen... It got a little over the top.

-Cydney, luckily, not as far gone, she still needs recovery time but she is able to stay in the game and Debbie is positively the picture of health compared to the other two that went down.

-So with Caleb being medically pulled from the game, that takes Terry B., Sue S., and Sunnie C. out of the pool. (They did put up a card that Caleb has 100% recovered and he wants to play again.)

Brawn - Day 9
-They return to camp and Cydney is trying to chill out and recover but Alecia has a bone to pick with Scot, she calls him out on his saying all she was good for was cheerleading... and she made her point... but then she just would not let it go, she just kept bringing it up over and over again until Jason blew up and had to walk away... and still she wouldn't shut her trap - and she's proud of herself, seeing this as her not giving up and not being intimidated, when she really has no social game to speak of (no outwitting here.)

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
-Two tribe members have to run into the jungle, climb up a wooden ladder and retrieve three rope puzzle pieces.  Once they get back to the mat, two other tribe members will race out into the water, dive down and retrieve three more rope puzzle pieces.  Once they get back to the mat, two tribe members will then begin trying to solve the rope puzzle (all the pieces are different sizes, they had to fit them in a set snake configuration...anyway, it was harder than it looked).

-Brains was behind from the start when Peter left one of the pieces behind in the jungle.  They were the last tribe to start on the puzzle but once Debbie switched out with Peter, he proved a puzzle wizard and Brains was the first tribe finished to win immunity.
-Beauty was not doing that great, Julia got Nick to take her place and he was able to get the puzzle finished, also winning immunity. 
-That left Brawn, even though Alecia tried to switch out with one of the guys, they did not come to her aid - so it was Brawn going to Tribal and I can't help feeling like they wanted it that way.

After the other two teams left the challenge area Jeff even asked them what were the odds that Alecia was not going home tonight - Scot holds up a big ol' zero - Jason says let's vote right now... and Jeff offers to have Tribal right there, but Alecia had to agree and she refused because that would be giving up (seriously? It's over, you lost.)

They didn't even show them back at camp, next scene was Tribal Council and Alecia was voted out (B'bye!  She did vote for Scot and he was not happy about that, but he deserved a vote against him too, I don't really like any of these Brawn guys.)

So with Alecia leaving, that also takes Monica S., Cindi C. and Phillip K. out of the pool. (It was a blood bath for our pool this episode.)

Alecia's final thoughts - she's proud of herself, she didn't give up. (Yeah, she didn't learn a thing about dealing with people... Scot had said he hopes she watches this back and realizes what they were trying to tell her, but she's not going to realize anything, just saying.)

Next time: They are told to drop their buffs - they are switching things up. (Ooohh...)

Have a great rest of your week everybody,

Coleen

The Amazing Race - Mar 4/16 Episode Recap

Get It Trending (Blodie)

We hit a reset this week when everyone travelled together to their next destination - Geneva, Switzerland!  This also gave the teams the chance to interact with each other, and in one case, maybe allow a little romance to blossom.  Who is that you ask?  The loud frisbee player Brodie, and makeup tutorial girl Blair.  Korey & Tyler dubbed them Blodie, "Blair + Brodie = Blodie.  Get it trending."

They got to Geneva in the dark of night and there was lots of running through the streets but they ended up having to take numbers to start out the next morning at 10am.  They put them up in a basement somewhere ... where there was more time for Blodie to germinate in the cuddle pile.  (Of course her dad is there so cuddle was all it was. These U-Tube-types are acting like junior high kids, tittering about the crush, it was funny at first, but got old quick.)

Next morning they get a box of chocolates with the clue to the DETOUR: Work Bench or Bench Work
-In Work Bench - they have to assemble a Swiss Army Knife.
-In Bench Work - they have to find the world's longest bench and work out how many people can sit on it holding a paper open in front of them (190-197 is the range they have to reach.)

Work Bench: Zach & Rachel, Tyler & Korey, Scott & Blair
Bench Work: Burnie & Ashley, Erin & Joselyn, Sheri & Cole, Dana & Matt, Jessica & Brittany, Brodie & Kurt

The spirit of cooperation was in full force on the Bench Work, with so many teams lots of them worked together and when the Frisbee players were the first to get the right answer, they shared it with a bunch of them... but they all still had to do the counting before they re-guess.

The knife teams did really well but the precision nature of the task made it a little longer.  Bonus, they got to keep the knives they made.

All teams moved on to the ROADBLOCK: Who's Having a Banner Day?  Outside the United Nations there are flags of all the member countries.  One person from each team had to find 14 flags in their flag book that correspond with the 14 countries that were in yellow on the board they were looking at.  Once they figured out the board was the map to the actual flagpoles, they could run out and find the flagpoles that would show them the flags.

-The spirit of cooperation carried over into this task as most of the teams were there at the same time, they were pairing off and working together... except for the last team, who happened to be the models.  Jessica couldn't believe that no one would help her - I'm sure being pretty and nice, that's never happened to her before in her life - but both Jessica and Brittany were shocked and really upset that no one would help them (I think it kind of shattered their world view a little.)  But in terms of the Race, of course no one is going to help the last place team and risk coming in last place themselves.

The PIT STOP ended up being in France, so they all had to take a train to Martigny, with one connection to make it to Chamonix... and the Models missed the train.

Here is How They Finished:
All the teams got to the matt together except the models:
1) Brodie & Kurt - They won $3K each!
2) Tyler & Korey
3) Dana & Matt
4) Burnie & Ashley
5) Zach & Rachel
6) Erin & Joselyn
7) Sheri & Cole
8) Scott & Blair
9) Jessica & Brittany ***ELIMINATED*** They were so sad, but they were glad they ran the race together.

And with Models leaving, that takes: Roxanne S., Tori K., Asia R., Andria S. and Vikki M. out of the pool.

Next week the teams take on the Alps, crossing a chasm and paragliding in the snowy peaks - if nothing else it will be pretty.

Have a great week everyone,

Coleen 

Survivor Brains v Brawn v Beauty - March 2/16 Episode Recap

The Circle of Life

Last week Brawn went to Tribal Council again and Jenny couldn't keep her mouth shut which sealed her fate (maybe that bug in her ear did more damage than we thought)... and inexplicably Alecia survived another vote.

Brawn - Night 6
They return from Tribal Council, Alecia is mad that Scot still voted for her and now she wants him gone - but she also trusts Cydney more and vents to her, while Cydney is still tight with the guys and just tells them whatever she says... things are far from harmonious in Brawn-town.

Beauty - Day 7
Tai is still trying to get the idol - he goes while everyone is eating, hoping they will be too distracted to notice.  So he goes back to the tree, but now he's lost the tool they gave him to get the key - why does nothing in his life come easy?  He's given this some thought and instead of climbing the tree he's fashioned a long pole and improvised the tool on the end - and he is able to push the key out of the cylinder... and finally open the box to the idol.  But this is no ordinary idol - the twist this season is; two idols will fit together to make a Super-idol which can be used AFTER the votes have been read (on it's own, it is a regular idol.)

Brains - Day 7
Dr. Peter is telling us that he and Liz are running the tribe but they are managing two other sets of two in Debbie & Joe and Aubry & Neal (really, you're running things are you?) They want to keep Debbie & Joe around as their goats and take out Neal.
-Debbie isn't as unaware as they seem to think, she's gathering intel and sees pretty clearly what those two are: Peter has a superiority complex and Liz is a prima donna princess.  Since they need Peter for challenges, her first target is Liz.  She tells Joe they have to move to acquire Aubry & Neal's votes to split up Liz & Peter.
-Debbie thinks she's being all covert and smart but when she talks to Aubry & Neal she's just creepy and even though she is saying she likes them and wants to work with them, you can see both of
them are kind of uneasy because she's just so weird.

Beauty - Day 7
Tai has a really hard time with killing the chicken, he knows it's the circle of life and they need the protein so he doesn't try to stop them he even holds the bird, but then he cries.  All the girls are very moved by Tai's kind heart and then there is model douchebag Nick who dismisses all the emotion, "Animals eat other animals. They're there to eat." He's turning all the girls against him with his callus attitude.
-Poker player Anna is thinking strategy, she knows the three girls are solid and they need to pull over one of the guys - Nick rubs her the wrong way so she talks to Caleb and proposes he vote with the girls to take out Nick. 

Brawn - Day 7
Scot is out trying to find a hidden immunity idol especially now because he doesn't trust Alecia and doesn't want her to get it... but of course who stumbles across the clue - Alecia... but she's with Cydney and trusts Cydney so they start digging and who sees them digging but Jason.  Oh now it's on. 
Alecia sees Jason, he takes off.  Alecia takes off to find something to dig with and Cydney has found the box, she pretended she hadn't found anything so she could get Alecia to leave... but it's the same deal as what Tai found - locked box, tool and clue to find the key.  Alecia comes back, she couldn't find the hoe to dig, Cydney has re-buried the locked box and they go back to camp acting natural like nothing happened.
-Cydney knows she has to tell the guys because Jason saw them so she quietly tells them Alecia found a clue and the guys take off running to the tree - the girls follow slower Alecia asking Cydney if she told them and she says, he saw us, plain and simple.
Jason finds the box and the clue with the map and he just takes off running like a bat out of hell - it was funny watching the bouncing video as the cameraman tried to keep up with him (bounty hunter can run) and now all of them are running after him, Alecia doesn't want to lose her idol to him... but the guys fashion a pole and push out the key, then Jason makes sure to bowl over Alecia so she can't get it... (it's getting pretty Lord of the Flies on the Brawn tribe.)
-Alecia watches as Jason and Scott open the box and retrieve the idol but she didn't stick around for the reading of the Super Idol
instructions.  Jason & Scott think they're invincible, if they can get the other idol (now I'm wondering, does the Super Idol only come into play once they merge? What if there is only one idol per tribe so there can't be a SuperIdol until they're all together. Huh.)

IMMMUNITY CHALLENGE
They will jump off a platform out on the water and swim in to a boat where they will retrieve three bags of rice, then they must work together to get the bags through some obstacles and onto the beach where they will split open the bags and search through the rice for three balls - once they have the balls, one tribe member must balance on a beam and try to maneuver a ball using hand pulleys along a vertical maze of holes, to the top of the board - once they get all three balls seated in their holes at the top, they'll win Immunity and reward.
First tribe will have a choice between comfort items or their emotional items.
Second tribe gets what's left.

Beauty tribe sits Anna & Michelle.  Brain tribe sits Aubry & Joe.

Off they go - and the bags of rice are heavy!  Getting into the beach it's Beauty, Brawn and then Brains.
Beauty does really well with the maze - Sorority girl Julia, and Tai both get their balls to the top.  Brawn having trouble, Cydney does not do slow and steady and keeps losing the ball in the holes - she swaps out with Jason.  Brains starts catching up as Debbie gets a ball in.

Beauty tribe Wins - immunity and choice of Reward.

We are neck and neck for second place and it's BRAWN! by a hair. That means Brains is going to Tribal tonight.
Beauty chooses comfort, takes the pillows and blankets.
Brawn gets emotional items - a note, a picture, a teddy bear...

Brains - Day 8
-Liz & Peter think losing today was good for them (that's never a good sign - losing is never good) but they are looking forward to voting Neal out.  Liz thinks they'll tell Aubry & Neal that Joe is going
home tonight - but the actual plan is to split the votes between Neal & Aubry in case Neal has a hidden immunity idol.  Their downfall is going to be thinking they are smarter than everyone and underestimating Debbie's cunning (she's stupid like a fox...)
-Liz lays out the plan exactly how they see it working to Debbie - expecting she'll go along like a good soldier - which she pretends she's going to do - but Debbie is having none of this plan.
-Debbie goes and tells Neal that Liz & Peter are voting for Aubry because they think he has an idol. Neal thinks they need to be punished for spreading lies. 
-Neal goes and confirms with Peter & Aubry that they're voting Joe tonight - to keep the tribe strong and Peter is oblivious to anything possibly not going his way.  
-Peter pontificates to the camera that these people need to be led like children and he's their father figure.
-Aubry doesn't feel that Peter has any emotional intelligence and she doesn't know that he's someone they can move forward with... to her Peter is the bigger threat and she talks to Debbie about taking him out instead of Liz.  They agree he's a narcissistic bully who is playing this game with overbearing exuberance - maybe he is the better choice to take out first.

TRIBAL COUNCIL
-Peter lays out that there are basically three pairs in this tribe.
-Debbie says they are all analytical and playing the game without letting emotion rule their decisions...
-Neal pipes up, "or maybe we just think we're the smartest one in the game and we'll be fine."
-Aubry says you have to also be able to pick up on social clues, not everything is numbers.
-Peter thinks he's a professional in social interaction being an ER doctor (I don't think he understands what they mean... or he really is blind to his own failings.)
-Liz thinks paranoia is a strong word but if anyone doesn't have some fear that there is a conspiracy out to get them, they're probably not thinking enough about how to play.
-Peter said they were bummed after the loss but okay because the plan is going forward.
-Neal says he's not worried about Peter's plan and that rankles P
Peter to the point that he calls Neal a snake in ice cream pants and spills their whole plan (what the heck??? Are you that insecure?) - they can split the vote, take Neal or Aubry out and forge ahead as the brains.
-Debbie says good for him for laying out what he wants to happen (and then she shuts up - Debbie is proving better at this than anticipated.)
-Liz thinks the person going home with not be completely shocked.
-Neal thinks they'll go forward as a stronger tribe, but what stronger means, we shall see.
-Peter says he and Liz are smart people, they've thought of everything and he just wants to vote. (Aubry says wow, and everyone else is just blown away by his ridiculous hubris.)

Time to Vote
Liz votes Aubry
Debbie says, "The world does not revolve around you, but good luck"... but they didn't show that she voted for Peter (who else could it be?)

Tallying the Votes:
No hidden idol... though Neal does pretend to look around.

Votes:
Aubry - 1, 2
Peter - 1 - that took the smirk off his face
Peter - 2
Liz - 1, 2
So it's a three way tie, Aubry, Liz and Peter will not vote and the rest can only vote for one of those three.  Liz is looking for Peter's reassurance but he's trying to be smirkingly cool, like this isn't killing him.

Re-Vote:
LIZ (What???) Why wouldn't they cut off the head of the snake??? I guess they still want Peter's strength in challenges and hopefully this will knock him down a peg or ten.

Oh yeah, with Liz leaving that takes out Shelly P., Kim K., and Coleen T. (Sigh.) Liz was my girl in the pool so yes, I am out of both Survivor and the Amazing race already - I must have screwed up my pool karma somehow.

Next time: The punishing heat takes someone out in the challenge - med-evac here we come.

Liz's final words - she was very confident things would work out for her, she doesn't know what happened to make them want to vote her out (then you better become more self-aware sweetheart) she blah blah'd- about numbers not lying but people lie (whatever, they're done with you - goodbye!)

Have a good rest of the week everyone,

Coleen